How to for modders??

[derhexer]

Since I retired I have some free time and thought I'd try developing some mods.

Is there a set of 'how to' instructions or guidelines? For example, how do modders develop the strengths of land-based units? What sources do they use? If I want to develop a campaign that starts in January, 1943, where can I go to find out the ships that were available and what their damage was, and how do I translate that into the mod?

One mod I'd like to create is a short battle of Midway.

Thanks

[el cid again]

These are all $64,000 questions. The answers are not easy.

Sources are many and conflicting as well as incomplete and in various languages. You will NEVER answer all your questions
in a difinitive way. Collecting reference material is time consuming and expensive. Evaluating them takes more time still -
and the process never ends.

In the case of Matrix WITP products, there is no real guide other than an incomplete manual on how the editor works.
More or less you find a similar record and copy that to a different location in the same file - and modify it as required.
Sometimes it does not work well - usually it does - but you need to test to know.

Aside from editing the game database, one also can edit the "invisible map" file below the art of the map - speaking in jargon -
this is the pwhexe.dat file. It has an unofficial editor in beta release with even fewer instructions - but it is a powerful tool if
you want to modify the map.

The most helpful thing is the forum. Ask specific questions and you will often get useful answers.

[derhexer]

These are all $64,000 questions. The answers are not easy.

Sources are many and conflicting as well as incomplete and in various languages. You will NEVER answer all your questions
in a difinitive way. Collecting reference material is time consuming and expensive. Evaluating them takes more time still -
and the process never ends.

In the case of Matrix WITP products, there is no real guide other than an incomplete manual on how the editor works.
More or less you find a similar record and copy that to a different location in the same file - and modify it as required.
Sometimes it does not work well - usually it does - but you need to test to know.

Aside from editing the game database, one also can edit the "invisible map" file below the art of the map - speaking in jargon -
this is the pwhexe.dat file. It has an unofficial editor in beta release with even fewer instructions - but it is a powerful tool if
you want to modify the map.

The most helpful thing is the forum. Ask specific questions and you will often get useful answers.

Thanks!![:)]

[oldman45]

Try this for starters

http://www.alternatewars.com/Mods/WITP_AE/Tools/Ship_Modding.htm

From there you can develop your questions.